Alfa Laval develops beer concentration technology

Lund-based company Alfa Laval has introduced a new technology designed to revolutionize the brewing industry by concentrating beer and diluting it again during service. The process, known as Revos, uses membrane technology to remove water from finished beer without affecting its taste or character.

By removing water, the volume and weight of the liquid are significantly reduced. This allows a single keg to serve the same amount of beer as five standard kegs and enables trucks and ships to transport much larger quantities of product with a fraction of the weight. According to Justyna Szczepanska, global product manager for membrane solutions at Alfa Laval, the technology could reduce transport-related carbon emissions by up to 80 percent.

The technology originated as a research project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States before being acquired by Alfa Laval. Unlike heating or freeze-drying methods, the Revos process operates at temperatures just above zero degrees Celsius under high pressure, which helps preserve the beer's flavor profile.